Try delicious foods from around the world this February.

Global Flavours returns for its sixth year, inviting the community to celebrate the incredible cultural diversity of St. Thomas and Elgin County. This month‑long culinary adventure, created in partnership with Railway City Tourism, Elgin County Tourism, and the St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration Partnership (STELIP), highlights the restaurants, bakeries, and cafés that bring global tastes to our region.

Designated as a Bee City, St. Thomas is dedicated to preserving and enhancing habitats for these essential creatures. This commitment is evident as you explore the city’s parks, gardens, and green spaces, each thoughtfully designed to support the delicate balance of our ecosystem.

Take yourself on a journey to uncover the hidden gems of pollinator habitats that dot this vibrant city, and discover how St. Thomas is leading the way in environmental stewardship and biodiversity conservation. There are incredible places to explore and discover more about the world of pollinators, how our community works to protect and expand habitats!

This self-guided exploration is definitely the most vibrant during the summer months, but taking the opportunity to visit some of your favourite spots throughout the season can offer new and different perspectives and understanding about biodiversity, local plants and pollinators.

Throughout this exploration, you'll learn more about the habitats needed for pollinators like birds, beetles, moths, bees and butterflies. These little creatures are responsible for one of every three bites of food we consume - so while they are small, they have a big impact on how we live our lives. They are vital to our food supply and need our help, and respect.

You'll also have the opportunity to learn more about native plants and why they are important to our local pollinators.  

The intention of this exploration is the highlight the implementation, conservation and restoration efforts of pollinator habitats around the community to expand understanding of these habitats and encourage exploration around the city while connecting to nature and recognizing the importance of pollinators to our ecosystems and ourselves. 

Let's go explore together!

One of my dearest friends absolutely LOVES Rachel McAdams. This friend is from Los Angeles where it's not unusual to spot celebrities pumping gas or grocery shopping (they ARE just like us, after all), so when she flew in for a visit, I knew I had to come up with a fun way to show off Rachel's hometown and make the experience of exploring St. Thomas fun and meaningful—and so, the Unofficial Rachel McAdams Hometown Tour was born. 

While the tour is based on some of Rachel's known appearances and rumoured local lore - a lot of it is a tongue and cheek quest modelled around her movies and local sights and sounds visitors to St. Thomas and the area can enjoy - with a side quest or two thrown in for good measure.

Consider grabbing some popcorn and watching through Rachel's extensive film catalogue or toss on a playlist and get touring!
​

Food tells us stories. Your favourite family recipe tells the story of your ancestors, passed down from generation to generation, perhaps brought from country to country, with each family member tweaking it a bit to suit their tastes and the accessible ingredients. Food also tells us stories on a broader, community level. The types of food available—the restaurants, the options in grocery stores, the crops grown in nearby fields—all tell a story about the people who live here and where they came from.

​The route of what was the London and Port Stanley Railway is one of the oldest in the province. The northerly portion, now owned by CN, from St. Thomas to London has been in almost constant use since 1856. The southerly portion, from St. Thomas to Port Stanley, was put back into service by the Port Stanley Terminal Rail in 1988.
​
The origins of the line lie in the extensive use of lake transportation for freight in the pre-rail era and the need to bring the freight up to London. In the 20th century it gained a new lease on life as the flagship for Ontario Hydro’s planned province-wide electric rail system.  Today, its two functions, as a freight hauler and as a tourist line, reflect the uses to which it was put from earliest times.

There are many places I like to take photos in St. Thomas. Reasons being that there is some great architecture and nature spots in the area.
​​